NBC Rejects Sexual PETA Super Bowl Ad

Naughty veggie play too much for NBC

NORFOLK, Va. - NBC-TV has rejected a Super Bowl ad submission from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, deeming it too sexual.

The PETA spot shows alternating scenes of a provocatively clad woman and a disrobing woman suggestively cavorting with vegetables, with the nude woman later stepping into a "veggie bath."

The ad's text claims "studies show vegetarians have better sex." Though NBC wasn't questioning the claim, the network turned down the ad on the grounds that it was too racy.

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PETA has argued that far more sexual advertising has run on daytime and nighttime television.

A PETA blog entry said the shots NBC questioned included the woman licking a pumpkin, rubbing her pelvic region with the pumpkin, touching her breasts with her hand while eating broccoli, sucking a stalk of asparagus while blindfolded, and rubbing asparagus on her breast.

Blogger Amy Elizabeth wrote, "Apparently, NBC has something against girls who love their veggies. After we submitted our proposed Super Bowl ad, which features a comely crop of models demonstrating their fondness for fresh produce, NBC nixed the ad, saying it 'depicts a level of sexuality exceeding our standards.'"

Some news outlets have suggested the submission was just another PETA publicity stunt, while others have questioned whether the ad exploits women for the sake of furthering the cause for animal rights.